Charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in stemware glass holder

ABSTRACT

The invention includes a charcuterie board with a number of smaller appetizer plates, both preferably made from hardwood. Each plate has a small cutout that inserts onto a dowel and socket for storage when not in use, and accommodates a wine glass stem, supporting the glass, when in use. The presently claimed invention allows users to maintain easy and convenient access to food provided on the charcuterie board with one hand. The charcuterie board and plates with built-in wine glass holder is formed from good-quality hardwood, and offers a simple and convenient method of supporting food and drink on an appetizer plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 62/808,007, filed Feb. 20, 2019, the entire application of which is incorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of serving plates and kitchenware. More specifically, the invention is a charcuterie board with matching appetizer plates that have a built-in wine stem holder, allowing a user to hold a plate and a wine glass at the same time.

2. Description of the Related Art

Holding a charcuterie board and wine glass simultaneously may be nearly impossible with just one hand. Without a free hand, users will be unable to eat, drink, and be social at parties/events. The plate or glass must be set down to consume appetizers or a beverage, or to shake hands when being introduced to someone. This may be particularly difficult in locations with few places to set down the plate or glass, and could result in people trying to balance a plate on a glass or a glass on a plate, ending with a mess and possibly with broken glass.

Ideally, a charcuterie board and plates with built-in stem holders should provide a convenient and comfortable way of holding a plate and a glass with only one hand and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable charcuterie board and plates with built-in wine glass holder to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known serving ware art, the present invention provides a novel charcuterie board and plates that can hold a stemmed glass so a user has one hand free. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail is to provide a charcuterie board and plates with built-in wine glass holder.

The presently claimed invention pertains to food and beverage holding device. More particularly, the presently claimed invention pertains to a charcuterie board and plates with built-in wine glass holder. The presently claimed invention provides users with a combination wine glass holder and charcuterie board that enables the user to simultaneously eat and drink while having one hand free, and thus better remain social.

The presently claimed invention includes a charcuterie board with a number of smaller plates. Each plate has a small cutout that inserts onto a dowel and socket for storage when not in use, and accommodates a wine glass stem, supporting the glass, when in use. The presently claimed invention allows users to maintain easy and convenient access to food provided on the charcuterie board with one hand. The charcuterie board and plates with built-in wine glass holder is formed from good-quality hardwood, and offers a simple and convenient method of supporting food and drink on an appetizer plate.

The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holder. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures that accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view illustrating a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders in an unassembled position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders in an assembled position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an appetizer plate with appetizers and holding a wine glass in the built-in wine glass holder, according to an embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. 1-4.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to serving ware and more particularly to a charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders as used to improve a user's ability to safely hold a wine glass and appetizer plate with one hand without spilling.

Generally speaking, the charcuterie board and appetizer plates with built-in wine glass holders is a large charcuterie board with a number of smaller appetizer plates capable of receiving a small attachment to support a wine glass. The system allows a user to hold an appetizer plate and wine glass at the same time, with a single hand. The solid hardwood charcuterie board can receive a small pedestal that inserts into a dowel and socket. The appetizer plates are then held vertically through the wine glass holder cutout on the dowel, so a user can easily pick one up.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in FIG. 1 a charcuterie board 1 made of a hardwood. The hardwood can be a solid piece, or smaller pieces glued together to form an aesthetically attractive pattern. A number of smaller appetizer plates 2, preferably also made of hardwood to match the charcuterie board 1, have a thin opening 3 at one corner that leads into a round hole 4. The thin opening 3 is just wide enough to allow a stem from a stemware glass to pass through the thin opening 3 into the round hole 4. The charcuterie board 1 has a small dowel 5 inserted perpendicularly therein, preferably in the middle of a back side of the board 1. A larger holding dowel 6 can be slotted over the small dowel 5 to form the vertical part of the plate support 7.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the charcuterie board 1 and appetizer plates 2 are preferably four-sided polygons, with the board 1 being rectangular, and the plates 2 being square. However, other shapes are possible. The plate support 7 has a vertical part 6 and a horizontal part 8. The plates 2 can be supported so that the plates 2 hang from the horizontal part 8 of the plate support 7 by slotting the round hole 4 of the plate 2 over the horizontal part 8 so that the thin opening 3 rests against the horizontal part 8. The board 1 can then be arranged with appetizers 9 thereon, to create an appealing edible display.

The board 1 can be sold as a set with a number of plates 2, and the small dowel 5 and plate support 7. Such a set preferably includes one board 1 and six plates 2.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a user 10 can hold a plate 2 with appetizers 9 thereon, and insert the stem 11 of a stemware glass 12 such as a wine glass through the thin opening 3 into the round hole 4 so that the bowl 13 of the stemware glass 12 is supported by the plate 2 with the stem 11 through the round hole 4. The user 10 can thereby hold both the plate 2 and the stemware glass 12 with only one hand.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. 

What is claimed is new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:
 1. A charcuterie board and appetizer plate set, the set comprising: (a) a charcuterie board, wherein the board has a first dowel rod operably set perpendicularly into a top surface of the board along a back side of the board so that a section of the first dowel rod extends vertically above the board; (b) at least one appetizer plate, wherein the at least one appetizer plates has a thin opening at one part of the appetizer plate, wherein the thin opening has a width and a length, wherein the length of the thin opening leads to a round hole in the plate, and wherein the round hole in the plate has a diameter greater than the width of the thin opening; (c) a plate support including (i) a second dowel rod with first end and a second end, wherein the second dowel rod has a round cutout in the first end, and a slotted cutout in the second end; (ii) a third dowel rod with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a tab shape, and the second end is flat, wherein the tab shape of the first end of the third dowel rod operably connects to the slotted cutout in the second end of the second dowel rod so that the third dowel rod is at a ninety degree angle from the second dowel rod, wherein the round cutout in the first end of the second dowel rod operably connects to the section of the first dowel rod that extends vertically above the board by slotting the first dowel rod into the round cutout so that the second dowel rod forms an extension of the first dowel rod, and wherein the third dowel rod has a diameter that is greater than the width of the thin opening on the at least one appetizer plate.
 2. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 1, wherein the charcuterie board and the at least one appetizer plate are formed of a hardwood.
 3. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 1, wherein the charcuterie board is rectangular in shape, and the at least one appetizer plate is square in shape.
 4. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 1, wherein there are six appetizer plates.
 5. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 1, wherein the plate support is formed of a hardwood.
 6. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 3, wherein the thin opening and round hole in the at least one plate are centered in one corner of the at least one plate.
 7. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 1, wherein the vertical part of the plate support has a length that is greater than a longest dimension of the at least one plate.
 8. The charcuterie board and appetizer plate set according to claim 3, wherein the vertical part of the plate support has a length that is greater than a diagonal length of the at least one plate so that the at least one plate does not touch the charcuterie board when hanging from the horizontal part of the plate support.
 9. A charcuterie board and appetizer plate set, the set comprising: (a) a rectangular charcuterie board formed from a hardwood, wherein the board has a first dowel rod operably set perpendicularly into a top surface of the board along a back side of the board so that a section of the first dowel rod extends vertically above the board; (b) six square appetizer plates formed from a hardwood to match the charcuterie board, wherein the at least one appetizer plates has a thin opening at one part of the appetizer plate, wherein the thin opening has a width and a length, wherein the length of the thin opening leads to a round hole in the plate, wherein the round hole in the plate has a diameter greater than the width of the thin opening, and wherein the thin opening and round hole in the at least one plate are centered in one corner of the at least one plate; (c) a plate support formed from hardwood to match the charcuterie board including (i) a second dowel rod with first end and a second end, wherein the second dowel rod has a round cutout in the first end, and a slotted cutout in the second end; (ii) a third dowel rod with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has a tab shape, and the second end is flat, wherein the tab shape of the first end of the third dowel rod operably connects to the slotted cutout in the second end of the second dowel rod so that the third dowel rod is at a ninety degree angle from the second dowel rod, wherein the round cutout in the first end of the second dowel rod operably connects to the section of the first dowel rod that extends vertically above the board by slotting the first dowel rod into the round cutout so that the second dowel rod forms an extension of the first dowel rod, wherein the third dowel rod has a diameter that is greater than the width of the thin opening on the at least one appetizer plate, and wherein the vertical part of the plate support has a length that is greater than a diagonal length of the at least one plate so that the at least one plate does not touch the charcuterie board when hanging from the horizontal part of the plate support. 